. : One for sorrow: .

Playlist: pandora hearts OST 26 – melody (lacie)

Jikogu shoujo op1 (I forgot the title… AGAIN)

Disclaimer: the only thing I own is my lousy name and this story :'( i.e., me no own Naruto…) of course I don't own 3 blind mice either…

-Three blind mice,-

Their bated breaths could be heard, almost loud next to the pained gasps emanating from the woman. There was a split second of deafening silence as everyone craned their necks to take a closer look at the new arrivals. Shocked murmurs flitted as the Elders frowned, staring at the two newborns with apparent disgust. Then, the Uchiha patriarch snapped his brittle fingers, a dry crack that prompted furious protests from the exhausted mother. Several men approached the newborns, hefting the one with a mop of candy pink hair away, ignoring the mother as she wailed for her baby.

"Mikoto, stop this nonsense right now," he ordered gruffly, shooting the mother a menacing glare.

"SHE'S MY BABY! YOU TOOK MY BABY! SHE'S NOT SIN; SHE'S JUST A BABY, MY BABY!"

He nodded to Fugaku before he strode out of the room. Fugaku grasped his wife's chin, turning her face to force her to stare into his blood red orbs.

Shrieks of unadulterated agony resonated down the empty hallways.

Well, almost empty hallways. With clenched fists, the raven haired 7-year-old pushed off from the wall outside the room, stalking his baby sister.

- see how they run-

"Go… gomen na… nasai, Chi-nii-san," she blurted out tearfully as she stared at the bloody carnage before her.

"Look at me," Itachi ordered, waiting for her emerald orbs to meet his crimson eyes.

"It was my fault, imouto, not yours," he continued as tears streamed down her ivory cheeks, washing away the last traces of blood.

A soft gasp caught their attention.

"My baby, my pretty baby, is that you?" Mikoto rasped, clutching her gaping wound as she crawled towards her.

"O… Oka-san?" Sakura tested the foreign word as she stared at the woman in disbelief.

Mikoto dissolved into tears, tears of regret, of relief, tears that spoke more than a thousand words ever could.

"Gomen nasai, Hime-chan, Oka-san couldn't protect you! Will you forgive Oka-san?"

She watched helplessly as her mother laid on the floor, earnest eyes staring up at her, as though memorizing every single feature on her face.

It was as though her world came crashing down on her.

"Aishiteru, Oka-san! There's nothing to apologise for, Oka-san! I…" she trailed off as a blinding smile curved her mother's lips, a tender look in her eyes.

"Aishiteru too, Hime-chan. Don't cry for Oka-san, Oka-san is happy if you're happy,"

With a start, she realized that tears leaked again, a fresh flood that threatened to never stop. She knelt down to embrace the mother she never had. Her mother returned the affectionate gesture, her grip vice tight. They sobbed, one crying for the daughter she never knew, the other for the mother she wished she knew. Slowly, Mikoto's grip slackened, slipping from the embrace.

"OKA-SAN! OKA-SAN! Stay with me, Oka-san!"

Mikoto merely smiled, even as her life slowly drained from her.

"I wish I could, Hime-chan. I really wish I could," she whispered brokenly, before closing her eyes.

Forever.

Itachi swallowed, grief overwhelming him as he watched the both of them. He looked away to bottle the vile sorrow that threatened to suffocate him. Schooling his expression, he strode away to take care of one last loose end.

Sasuke.

At the thought of his name, Sasuke stumbled towards him, a lost little boy searching for reassurance. His coal eyes lit up at the sight of his nii-san. Lips pressed into a thin line, he watched as Sasuke dashed towards him. Out of habit, he raised his hand to flick his forehead. As Sasuke scowled at him, he gripped his chin none too gently, forcing his otouto to meet his crimson eyes.

He watched with a lump in his throat as Sasuke dropped to the ground.

"Be safe, otouto," he breathed, striding away, back to his imouto.

He had to pry her gently away from their oka-san's cold body.

"We have to go, imouto."

She shook her head, even as Itachi picked her up bridal style and sprinted swiftly out of the Uchiha compound and into the safety of the darkness.

-they all ran after the farmer's wife—

He was guilty. He shouldn't have brought her to the Uchiha compound. He knew better than that. This lapse of judgment cost far too many lives. And it was his entire fault, even if he did not spill a single drop of blood. She was volatile, and the Elders only served to agitate her, unleashing a demon. He hugged her closer to him, feeling her fragile form tremble.

He could only take the blame, feeding Sasuke illusions about the whole massacre. Hopefully, it would be enough to atone for his sins. Sin, he laughed, just like what they called her, when he was really the sinful one. His coal eyes softened as he glanced at her. The only thing he never regretted was breaking her out from the Hell hole they imprisoned her in.

They paid for the mistake of jailing her with their pathetic lives.

"Chi-nii-san," she choked out, looking up at his impassive face.

"Hn."

A smile ghosted her lips, "arigrato, Chi-nii-san."

His eyes softened, before he planted a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"No, thank you, imouto," he replied, ruffling her neon pink tresses as an exquisite pain stabbed him in his heart.

She beamed at him, even though the pain in her eyes did not fade.

That shadow of guilt buried deep in the depths of her emerald orbs, one he wished he could shoulder instead of her.

-who cut off their tails with a carving knife-

A/N: LOL this was totally different from what I planned 3

forgive my poor writing, it's been quite some time since I last wrote a fanfic, no thanks to my o levels and, recently, my prom :D

it's really short, demo… just hang on kkays?

Next chappie is already in progress, be patient :DD

Ano, can someone explain to me how beta works?

Cause I may need one /

Oh yeah, do check out my new story :DD it's called 13

KeRa Uchiha is so sorry *OTL*